Ticket sales at the door for Kaufman’s Barbe
r Shop will be cash & check only.

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Shave and a hai
rcut? Shakespeare & Company comes to Pittsfield for a unique environmental
theatrical experience with its production of Kaufman’s Barbershop\
, which will be performed in the Upstreet Barbers. In 1925\, America was b
ooming. In upstate New York\, the children of Jewish immigrants had moved
out of Yiddish speaking neighborhoods into America’s mainstream. In Kaufm
an’s barber shop\, a group of successful businessmen and professionals mee
t regularly to have their hair cut and to socialize away from a society th
at accepts them only marginally. Three high spirited men\, who had early
on been tempted to go into vaudeville\, find themselves enmeshed in the li
ves of an immigrant Irish manicurist and an African American shoeshine boy
with literary aspirations. This engrossing play\, featuring the cast of <
i>Heroes among others\, is about survival in a complex world.

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“Kaufman’s Barbershop has been one of my favorite projects to work on with
Bob\,” says Simotes. “We’ve had various incarnations and readings of the
play over the past few years as it’s been developed and I am so happy it w
ill finally be produced in our coming season. Not only is Bob a talented p
laywright\, but his insights into the world of the play have been an educa
tion for us all. We are so happy to have him\, the wonderful Regge Life an
d a team of terrific actors on board to bring this final version of the pl
ay to fruition. What a treat it is to have our friends and owners of Upstr
eet Barbers\, Shawn and Mike to host this world premier production\, which
I guarantee will be a unique and moving experience.”